Transport and storage arrangement for carriers



G. LINGG July 30, 1963 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR CARRIERS Filed Oct. 12, 1961 AGE Yrilnited States Patent 3,099,228 TRANSPORT AND STORAGE ARRANGEMENT FOR CARRIERS Gerhard Lingg, Waldparkstrasse 36,

Mannheim, German Filed Oct. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 147,403 4 Claims. (Cl. 104-172) The present invention relates to an arrangement for storing and thereafter removing load carriers by means of a continuously operating conveyor chain and a blocking device which can be activated whenever desired.

In order to make it possible to store a load at any desired place, a drive transmitting arrangement has to be provided for the carriers, which can be uncoupled from the carriers at prescribed but freely selected places and by means of which the carriers, after removal of the blocking device, can automatically be removed from the place at which their movement was previously stopped. Such an arrangement makes it possible to position one or more carriers at a given place without requiring more than one blocking device. Instead, a single blocking device will be sufficient to cause a plurality of carriers to be stored at a certain place. Additionally the arrangement must be such that after the blocking device is removed, the stored carriers will move again, one after the other.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a transport and storage arrangement which fulfills the above requirements in a conveyor for carriers. The installation comprises a continuously moving conveyor and a removable device for arresting the movement of the carriers and simultaneously disengaging the drive transmitting means from the carriers. The arrangement comprises a track below the conveyor, along which track the carriers may move, and a drive transmitting unit mounted on the conveyor and movable therewith, each unit having first latch means pivotable against the direction of movement between a first position wherein a space is formed with a second latch means pivoting in unison therewith and in which a coupling element of a carrier may be received so that such carrier is moved along the the track and a second position wherein the latch means are located above this coupling element of the carrier.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the fol-lowing description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which the single FIGURE is a schematic illustration of a section of the conveyor chain according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the same shows a conveyor chain 1 below which there is a track 2 for the load carriers 3. The transport direction for the carriers 3 is represented by arrow 4.

The chain 1 carries a plurality of entraining units, two of which are shown in the drawing and identified by A and B. Each unit comprises a first latch means including a runner 5 having a lower surface 5a the leading edge of which is bent upwardly as shown at 6, the rear wall of the runner 5 being bent upwardly as shown at 6a. The runner 5 is hingedly connected by two pivotal links 7 to a base 8 which itself is mounted on the chain 1 by means of connecting members 8a. The components 5, 7, 8 form, as shown, a parallel motion linkage so that the runner 5 can swing parallel to base 8 between the upper and lower positions depicted by units A and B, respectively, with the upward motion of the runner taking place opposite to the direction of movement of the unit along the track.

The base 8 of each unit carries at its trailing edge a second latch 9 having one end pivoted to the base and 3,099,228 Patented July 30, 1963 whose free end carries an L-shaped abutment 11 which is engaged by an actuating rod 10 extending from the rear link 7 of the first latch means. Rod 10 and abutment 11 form a positive motion transmitting means between the first and second latch means and when the runner 5 is swung into its upper position, rod 10 lifts abutment 11, thereby pivoting the latch 9 in counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing at A. The arrangement of the parts is preferably such that the vertical distance which the latch 9 is raised is greater than the vertical distance which the runner is raised.

The lowermost position of the runner 5 is limited by suitable abutments, as, for example, the abutments 12 provided on the links 7 themselves.

The unit B is shown in the position in which the drive transmitting means engages the coupling element or bar 14 of one of the carriers. This bar projects into the space 15 between the lowered latch 9' and the rear wall 6a of the runner 5 which constitutes the other latch of the drive transmitting means. As the unit is moved in the direction of the arrow 4, the carrier 3 whose coupling element 14 is in the space 15 will be carried along.

Disengagement of the unit from the carrier, and therefore the arresting of the carrier, is effected by means of a release device 13 which is interposed in the path of the moving runner 5. As soon as the leading edge 6 of a runner 5 engages the release device 13, the runner 5 will swing against the direction of movement and begin to rise until it reaches the position shown in the case of unit A. In this position, the runner 5 and the latch y, via rod 10 and abutment 11, Will have been raised above the top of the bar 14. The unit is then free to continue its rightward movement in the direction of arrow 4, and the carrier 3 will remain in front of the release device 13. The runner 5 of the next unit will then engage the bar 14 of the previously stopped carrier, and will thereby be raised and thus release its particular carrier. For this purpose, the length of each runner 5 is selected to be somewhat larger than the distance between the coupling elements 14 of the two immediately adjacent carriers 3.

The release device 13 is disengaged simply by withdrawing the same from the path of the runner 5, so that as soon as the rear edge of the next runner passes over the bar 14 of the forwardmost carrier 3, such runner is free to swing down under the influence of its own weight, which is appropriately selected for this purpose. As a result, the latch 9 will also swing down so that there is once again formed the space 15 in which the bar 14 is received, whereupon the corresponding carrier 3 is carried along by the moving unit. The removal of the release device 13 may be effected in any suitable manner, as, for example, by electrical and/or mechanical actuating means (not shown).

The next carrier will be engaged by the next unit in a like manner, and so on.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement according to the present invention requires no springs, nor are there any component parts which are particularly susceptible to wear. Moreover, the entire structure is exceedingly simple, and all of the parts operate fully automatically.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes, and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A conveyor arrangement for carriers, which comprises the combination of a continuously moving conveyor; a track arranged below the conveyor and supporting the carriers for movement therealong in the direction of the moving conveyor; a plurality of drive transmitting units mounted on said conveyor and moving therewith, each of said drive transmitting units including a first latch means pivotal against the said direction between a lower and an upper position, a second pivotal latch means cooperating with the first latch means and defining a space therebetween, positive motion transmitting means arranged between the latch means and positively transmitting pivotal motion from the first to the second latch means; a coupling element projecting upwardly from each of said carriers and into said space between the latch means when the latter are in the lower position; and a drive transmitting release and carrier arresting device movable into and out of the path of one of said carriers across the track, said device blocking the movement of said one carrier and simultaneously moving said latch means into the upper position, when moved into the path of said one carrier, the latch means in the upper position clearing said coupling element whereby said drive transmitting unit is disengaged from said one carrier.

2. The conveyor arrangement of claim 1, wherein each said drive transmitting unit comprises a base mounted on the conveyor, said first latch means is mounted on the base and consists of :a parallel motion linkage including a runner pivotal parallel to said base from said lower into said upper position, said runner having an upwardly bent leading edge and an upwardly bent trailing edge, and said second latch means is pivoted to said base, with a free end thereof cooperating with said trailing edge to define said space.

3. The conveyor arrangement of claim 2, wherein the length of said runner exceeds the distance between the coupling elements of two adjacent ones of said carriers, whereby the coupling element of the forward one of said adjacent carriers moves the runner of the drive transmitting unit coupled to the succeeding carrier into the upper position, thus disengaging the succeeding carrier from the latter unit.

4. The conveyor arrangement of claim 1, wherein said positive motion transmitting means includes an abutment on said second latch means and a rod extending from said first latch means and engaging said abutment.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,202,902 France July 27, 1959 819,343 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1959 

1. A CONVEYOR ARRANGEMENT FOR CARRIERS, WHICH COMPRISES THE COMBINATION OF A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING CONVEYOR; A TRACK ARRANGED BELOW THE CONVEYOR AND SUPPORTING THE CARRIERS FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MOVING CONVEYOR; A PLURALITY OF DRIVE TRANSMITTING UNITS MOUNTED ON SAID CONVEYOR AND MOVING THEREWITH EACH OF SAID DRIVE TRANSMITTING UNITS INCLUDING A FIRST LATCH MEANS PIVOTAL AGAINST THE SAID DIRECTION BETWEEN A LOWER AND AN UPPER POSITION, A SECOND PIVOTAL LATCH MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE FIRST LATCH MEANS AND DEFINING A SPACE THEREBETWEEN, POSITIVE MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE LATCH MEANS AND POSITIVELY TRANSMITTING PIVOTAL MOTION FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND LATCH MEANS; A COUPLING ELEMENT PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID CARRIERS AND INTO SAID SPACE BETWEEN THE LATCH MEANS WHEN THE LATTER ARE IN THE LOWER POSITION; AND A 